Alive
by SternenDisaster
Summary: Mutou Yugi is a little girl, who lives in Domino's hospital and tries to solve an ancient puzzle. Sadly, her health is getting more worse with every second she breathes and everyone knows that she won't survive. But one day, she recovers impossibly, and is soon ready to leave the hospital. It's the same day she solves the puzzle...
1. The Puzzle Covered in Blood

**A/N:** _Welcome to my story! This story will kind of follow the manga, though I might make some changes here and there. As the summary already tells, Yugi is female in this story. I really wanted to see if I could write Yami's feelings on sharing a body with a girl. (I'm so gonna have fun with him realizing that his skirt is shorter's than Yugi's.) Anyway, I want the story to focus on Yugi trying to live with the knowledge, that she got a chance other's wouldn't get and how she felt not being able to leave the hospital, or her room, with some exceptions. In the meantime I want to make Yami realize some things as well, so..._

 **Warnings:** _Currently none, other than some blood coughing._

"Mhm, doesn't fit."

Sitting in a comfortable bed, was a girl with tri-colored hair and stunning amethyst eyes. She sighed once again in disappointment, as the puzzle piece didn't fit, "Why can't that damn thing just suit?" Maybe she should reconsider working on the puzzle. But then again, she spent eight years of her life on it, to drop it now would be stupid.

Sighing once again, her amethyst eyes glanced at the wall in front of her. _White, how irritating._ She probably should have been used by it after all these years, but it still pissed her off. Especially, since it might be the last sight she would see, before she left the world. _Not that it mattered anymore._ Brushing her bangs out of her face, she looked at her sickly pale hands and wondered how many weeks - or days - she still had. Probably not much, considering how much her throat hurt and the amount of blood she coughed up in the past weeks.

"Mutou-chan?"

The girl blinked, as she realized that she wasn't alone in her room anymore.

"Hm?" She didn't bother to speak, there wasn't anything to say and it was better for her throat. And no one minded, because they learned fast that Yugi only cared about games, her grandpa and the puzzle. Everything other would be dismissed.

"Mutou-san called to tell you, that she won't be able to come today."

Yugi nodded quietly. Nothing new, her mother came never. For a moment silence filled the room, but then the nurse spoke up, "Um… Are… Are you okay, Mutou-chan? Do you need something?"

For a moment Yugi furrowed her eyes, but then – for the first time of the day – she looked away from the wall and to the nurse. _Ah, that explains it._ The nurse was new. Everyone knew that Yugi didn't bother with questions, or speaking in general, and for every, _are you okay_ , she would only nod and smile a fake smile. It didn't matter if she was fine, because in that goddamn hospital, she never would be.

She sighed a third time and thought about speaking up, before the woman embarrassed herself even more. She was saved by the arrival of another nurse, who realized the situation and told the new nurse to come with him, so that he could explain her Yugi's case.

As the door softly closed, to make her clear she was alone again, the bedridden girl looked at the golden pieces in her hands. Her grandpa once told her that whoever solved the puzzle, would be granted a wish. But there was also something about darkness. She would have to ask her grandfather later.

She didn't really have a wish or desire, since the only she started on the puzzle, was because she considered it challenge. Yugi adored challenges. Heck, that was the only reason she studied and tried to get better in everything she wasn't.

That besides, there was one thing that she considered as wish. Someone to look after her beloved grandfather, because her mother wouldn't.

Smiling at the thought of her grandfather, she looked down to glance at golden object in her hands. She had more than the half done, but it still was extremely difficult to fit the other pieces. Though she would not give up.

 _After all it was her last challenge._

* * *

Some days passed, and it was clear to everyone, that she got even worse. Nurses and her doctor where checking even more on her up as normally. The amount of coughing she did was even more worse than before, and she got weaker.

Though that was the last thing that interested her. Currently she was trying to get to puzzle finished as soon as possible. Yugi had seen the pain in her grandfather's eyes as her on his last visit.

The realization that she really wouldn't survive.

So, she hoped that the puzzle could really grant her a wish. Someone to look after her grandfather. That's why she didn't stop working on it for hours, her frustration guiding her.

At first nurses tried to stop her, telling her that working on it wasn't good for her, but then they gave up, realizing that she wouldn't stop. Especially since she was soon finished. _Only three pieces._

Smiling to herself she reached for the last puzzle... only to grab air. _Huh?_ Looking into the box, she didn't see the piece. _Where is it?_

Hastily, she stood up, ignoring the feeling of nausea and the knowledge that she would be scolded for that. She wasn't allowed to leave the bed, the only exception being the bathroom.

Walking around her room, the puzzle in her left hand, she knelt to look under the bed and her nightstand. Nothing. _Where was it?_ Standing up, she bit her lip, as she felt a familiar feeling in her throat. The one that told her, that some bad coughing would begin. Yugi tried to hold it off. For some reason, it felt worse than before. Huh, why was her sight so blurred? Slowly and on dizzy steps, she tried to walk to her bed, only to drop halfway, the puzzle still in her hand. She felt so weak. But then she noticed it. Something golden shining. The last puzzle piece. It was hidden in the shadows, so she didn't see it earlier, but now...

Stretching her hand, she weakly tried to reach it... Only to stop as she brought it as fast as possible with her strength, to her mouth and coughed harshly. It was only as something dropped on her left hand and on the puzzle, that she realized her right hand was full of blood. _No. No..._ **_No!_**

This was the worst sign she could have gotten. She wouldn't survive the week, probably not even the next night! With new found strength, Yugi grabbed the last piece, ignoring how dizzy she got and how much her throat hurt.

Suddenly she heard steps coming nearer and Yugi knew she needed to be fast, so she tried to fit the piece into the puzzle, ignoring that it was soaked in her blood. As she finally finished it, her energy left her and she closed her eyes, not hearing that someone opened the door.

 _Please... please have someone look after my grandfather... I... I don't want... him... be lonely... anymore._

* * *

As screams filled the room, he opened his eyes. _The shadows were crying._

And as images filled him, he soon realized why. The girl was lying on the ground, almost not breathing and holding the puzzle, which was soaked in blood, as if her life depended on it.

She was dying.

He felt sad at the fact, considering from all the images he has seen the past years, the girl, Yugi, didn't seem to be bad or evil in any way. Also, she managed to solve the millennium puzzle, which even older, and more experienced people couldn't.

But then he felt something. She made a wish in her condition? _Maybe she wished for the pain to go away..._

 ** _Please... please have someone look after my grandfather... I... I don't want... him... be lonely... anymore._**

His scarlet eyes widened in shock. _What?!_ She was at the edge of dying and yet...

 _...Very well, her wish shall be granted._


	2. The Greed of A Bully

**A/N:** _Here is the second chapter! I wanted to thank you for this surprising amount on interest! Who would have thought, huh?_

 _Hm, well I kind of like Anzu, because she can be the perfect big sister figure, so there won't be bashing. For that, you have other fics. They're all amazing written with wonderful ideas, but at some point the whole thing with Anzu gets annoying. So the enemy of this story... Will be someone completely others (still no bashing though, they will have their reasons). Well, not that a lot of romance will be involved. For that I have other story ideas (maybe I share them with you one day)._

 **Warnings:** _Ushio_

* * *

Blinking a bit, she opened her eyes and tried to adjust to the very bright light. _Where was she? Was she dead? Forever gone?_

Those thoughts vanished, as soon she heard a familiar sound. The beeping of a machines. She wasn't dead. _But why?_ She remembered the pain in her throat clearly. She was sure that couldn't have been a dream, _no_ , everything was too real to just be her imaginary. So, she must have survived. _But how?_ Trying to sit up, Yugi noticed whimpered, as felt the aching of her body. She mustn't have moved for a while. How much time has passed between her supposed dead and her waking? She just hoped it wasn't a long time. After countless tries, Yugi finally managed to sit up and look around the room. Nothing much changed. It was as if no one other than her has been in the room, but Yugi knew better.

"Uh… What now?"

Suddenly, as the words left her mouth, the door was thrown open. A nurse walked in, holding a clipboard, and looked up only to let it fall on the ground, as she screamed, "Mutou-chan!"

Before Yugi could procced what happened, many steps and shouts were heard, as some familiar and unfamiliar nurses ran into her room, trying to process the fact, that she was awake. There was chaos, as everyone tried to speak at the same time only to be silenced by a loud and commanding voice.

"You're making Mutou-chan uncomfortable, behave!"

Her doctor walked in, his white coat on and glasses on his nose. She could see the bags. _He didn't get any sleep in the last days… Will he be okay?_

 _I'm sure, that he will._

Her eyes widened in shock. Did someone just respond back? But she didn't speak aloud, did she? Before she could muse further on it, her doctor dropped his act and smiled kindly at her, "I'm sorry for the uproar, Mutou-chan… It's just that you did something impossible and now everyone wants to know how."

"I did something… _impossible,"_ she asked, her eyes shining in curiosity. What could she have done, that so many people were interested?

"… I suppose so."

Yugi wasn't sure anymore, if she really wanted to know. Something about Takeda-sensei's tone made her shiver.

 _"Mutou-chan, you died,"_ he began, Yugi blinking in shock at the words, _"And one hour later you came back to live."_

This couldn't be true.

* * *

She looked at the cards in her hands, smiling brightly. It's been awhile since she last saw them, as she refused to take them with here to that dull room. In her frustration, she might have harmed them in anyway, but she couldn't do that. They meant too much to her.

"I'm happy to see you like it here."

Yugi turned around, laughing, "Of course, you didn't change my room on bit! I missed it so much!"

Chuckling at his granddaughter's enthusiasms, Mutou Sugoroku walked back to the shop, leaving her to her own thoughts. He hoped school would be as funny for her.

In the meantime, Yugi sat down on the bed, looking around her room. The walls weren't white. No, they were a soft blue and gave off a peaceful feeling, unlike the hospital which was haunted by a lot of screams and cries. Even if It managed to save people, not everyone could be saved.

 _"Mutou-chan, you died. And one hour later you came back to live."_

She still couldn't believe it. How in the world did she even manage that? As she shifted to a more comfortable position, she felt something on her stomach, and remembered that she had finally accomplished something after eight years of patience.

She finished the millennium puzzle.

Her wish also came true.

 _Please… please have someone look after my grandfather… I… I don't want… him… be lonely… anymore._

It fulfilled her wish, heck, gave her even more than she wished for. Slowly, tears of gratefulness poured down her cheeks and landed on the puzzle. _Even if it was just a puzzle,_ she thought, hugging said puzzle closer to her, _it helped me so much, saved me._

"Thank you… Thank you so much!"

She just didn't know how much of an effect her words had on someone.

* * *

 _Mutou Yugi,_ her name was neatly written on the blackboard and she could see some classmates look with awe at it. Whispers of _"Pretty,"_ and _"Beautiful,"_ were all over the room, and she acknowledged them with a quiet, "Thank you."

In the hospital, she had a lot of time, enough time to practice writing on a blackboard. It was no wonder, that with time her handwriting got cleaner, than it used to be.

"Does anyone have questions for her?"

Some students decided ask her various things, like what for things she preferred or if she was currently seeing anyone (she blushed at this one and the teacher scolded the boy). But for the most part it were acceptable questions. _For the most part._

"Why did you come in the middle of the year?"

With her smile slipping away, she answered, "I was home-schooled before." In a way, she was.

She could see the curiosity in some eyes, but luckily the teacher decided to finish the questions, so that they could begin with the lesson.

Sitting on down, she looked to her left, knowing who she would see. She was surprised having not expected to see him there, as she walked into the classroom for the first time, but she should have known better. Of course, he would be here.

"Hello," she muttered, knowing that he wouldn't answer back. And he didn't.

With that she focused on what the teacher was saying, even though she didn't need to.

Once the break began, Yugi tried to pack everything fast away, so that she could leave the classroom as soon as possible. Sadly, she was seconds to late as almost everyone gathered around her and asked her various questions. The first four or five were answered, but then everything got personal and she simply shut her mouth and didn't say anything. And of course, her classmates didn't like that, so they started getting louder and insulted her. At first, she wanted to ask the teacher for help, but then she realized that the woman left some minutes ago, and closed her eyes. How was she supposed to react?

It wasn't like she could ask them to shut up. She would be way too quiet and shouting or screaming was still not allowed. Whilst her health got better, her throat was kind of fragile.

Then in that moment, someone walked over and shouted, "Would you stop bothering her?!"

Yugi opened her eyes to look at her savior, only to gasp in awe. The girl had brown short hair and blue, gentle looking eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous!

All the students scattered around, too scared to say something back and the girl smiled at Yugi. She looked like an angel in Yugi's opinion.

"My name is Mazaki Anzu. Nice to meet you!"

Yugi blinked, before she smiled shyly at her savior, "Mutou Yugi."

"Don't worry about the others! They will cool down by later."

"T-that's relieving." And Yugi sure meant that. She wasn't sure what she would have done, if something like that happened every time. Anzu chuckled a bit, as she sat down on Yugi's right side.

"They're just not used to new students, that's all. Anyway, want a tour of the school?"

And Yugi couldn't help but smile in delight, as she nodded happily.

 _Mazaki Anzu was her first friend in Domino city's high school._

* * *

"Hey Mutou! Wanna play basketball?"

She looked up from her card tower, to see some boys and girls gathered around the classroom's door.

"No, I wouldn't be much of a help…"

By now everyone knew, that Yugi didn't do much in gym. Of course, she would run laps, exactly like everyone other. But not as much as them. Sometimes she would play a game with them, but at some point, she would need to sit out and take a break. No one knew why and none of the teachers would answer. Some tried to ask Yugi herself, even bother her about it, but Mazaki Anzu would get very mad, if someone was harassing her small friend. And everyone knew that a mad Anzu, was a bad Anzu. Well, at least almost everyone. There were still some exceptions.

Like the two boys, who just a second ago destroyed her tower and were throwing the cards around.

"P-please s-stop," she tried to tell them, but her shy nature got in the way. She still wasn't god with people or crowds, not being used to interact with a lot of people.

"If you want us stop, then do something!"

Jounouchi Katsuya smirked at her, as he held some cards high above his head. Yugi bit her lip, as she looked at the cards her grandfather leant her. She promised him to give them back.

"Here Honda, catch!"

Turning around, she was met with the sight of Honda Hiroto, Jounouchi's friend. He was grinning at her and she couldn't help, but wonder if he had fun. Not fun at her suffering, but that kind of fun someone had, when he played a game? Too caught up in her thoughts, she didn't realize that Jounouchi was taking something out of her bag and hiding it behind his back, "Let's go Hiro, you can give her the cards back."

Stunned she took the cards back and looked at them both. Maybe… They weren't as cruel as she believed.

In the meantime, both her bullies were walking in the corridor, chatting away.

"That should give her a good lesson!"

"Yeah, now Mutou will learn that she needs to look out," Honda agreed with his friend, only to freeze in shock. Ushio!

"Exactly! And then she wo- "

"Did you just talk about bullying Mutou Yugi?"

Jounouchi scoffed as he looked at the person in front of him, he wanted to open his mouth to say some harsh things, but his friend laid a hand over it and shook his head, "Of course we wouldn't. Bullying is bad!"

Ushio only smirked at them, as he walked on, "I hope so."

"What the hell, Hiroto," the blond just freed himself and glared at his friend.

"Jou, don't be an idiot. This was Ushio, the school's Demon of Morals! He beats people up, for what he thinks is right!"

"He does… Well, anyway, I have something!" He took the puzzle from his jacket and Honda blinked.

"Jou… isn't this Mutou's?"

"Yeah, I stole it from her bag. Looks pretty valuable, doesn't it?"

Honda just blinked, continuing to look at the puzzle, "Dude… I'm not sure you shouldn't have stolen this. Like you said, it looks pretty valuable, so it must mean something to her."

"Aw, come on. It's not like I won't return it."

"I hope you really do."

"Of course!"

* * *

Yugi ended up coming home earlier that day, feeling a bit unwell.

"Are you sure that you don't want to take your medicine?"

"Yes, it's nothing that bad grandpa."

"Did something happen at school?"

Yugi blinked at the question, "Of course not!"

Her grandpa just chuckled, "If you mean. Now rest a bit, my little miracle."

Yugi blushed at the nickname, her grandfather gave her after he impossible recovery. "I will," she mumbled, a bit embarrassed. With these words, she walked the staircase up, and to her room.

Sitting down on her bed, after she closed the door, Yugi couldn't help but sigh. There wasn't much that happened at school, was a dirty lie she gave her grandfather. She felt guilty, but she didn't want to worry her grandfather. He had already enough worries with the shop, her health and his own health.

 _"Mutou Yugi, right?"_

 _She looked up, to see Ushio, a member of the moral committee._

 _"Um… Yes, that would be me."_

 _He grinned at the answer, and suddenly she had a bad feeling._

 _"Answer honestly, are you having problems with your classmates?"_

 _"What…? Of course not!"_

 _"Are you sure, that you aren't bullied? I will be your bodyguard."_

 _She narrowed her eyes at him, "I don't need one, thank you!"_

 _And with those words she walked away, leaving unknowingly to her, an evil smirking Ushio behind._

Sighing, Yugi picked her bag up and opened it… only to drop it in shock. _The puzzle was missing!_ Panickily, she looked again through her bag. Nothing! Trying to calm herself down, so that she could breathe without problems. Maybe she forgot it in school, in her locker or under her desk. Yeah, that must have been it… Hopefully.

* * *

The next day she looked under her desk, only to find out that it wasn't there. _The puzzle wasn't here! Where was it?_

"Mutou-chan."

She looked up to see Ushio. What did he want? She clearly had better to do than to speak with him (though she didn't dare to say that, as it simply wasn't in her nature).

"I want to show you something?" _Couldn't that wait?_ But in the end she followed him, unable to say no. The whole time she thought about the puzzle, only to stop as she saw what the moral committee member wanted to show her. Jounouchi and Honda beat up!

"What happened," she shouted, running to them and ignoring the fact that she shouldn't shout, especially since she didn't feel very well at the moment.

"Didn't I tell you, Mutou-chan? I needed to punish them, after all I'm your bodyguard."

"So… It's your fault… Mutou-chan," Jounouchi said, only to look with shock at her, as he saw the look in her eyes. _Completely, utterly broken._

"Why… Why in the whole world… Would I ask for something this cruel?"

He heard the sincerity and the pain in her voice and for a moment, he couldn't help but feel guilt at even suggesting that she could have been behind this. He should have known better. She never would ask for something like this, after all she way too kind for this. Hell, that was the reason he bullied her! Though now… He realized how stupid the reason was.

"Well, Mutou-chan, my pay?"

"Your pay?"

Honda and Jounouchi blinked in shock at the venom in her voice.

 _"You honestly think I pay you for something I didn't ask you for?"_

"Her bodyguard" narrowed his eyes in anger, "Of course or…," he started to smirk and Jounouchi had a bad feeling, "… Do you want to pay in another way?" With these words, he took a step closer to Yugi.

"After all you're quite cute, don't you agree?"

He laid a hand on her shoulder and in this moment Jounouchi her someone whisper something.

 _Stop him!_

And he did that.

Later the day Yugi came home, only to get immediately to her room and close the door. She wasn't in the mood to speak. Or do something. Lying on the blue, comfortable sheets, she thought about how to get the money for together. She hadn't enough, and there was no way she would ask someone for help. The puzzle was still missing and she felt unwell. Why did such things always happen to her?

"Yugi-chan," the door opened and her grandfather walked in. She sighed, preparing herself for all kind of questions, until she saw what he held in his right hand. _The puzzle!_

Standing up, she ran to her grandfather and gave him a hug.

"Where did you find it?"

He chuckled at her relief and excitement, "A friend of yours, called Jounouchi brought it."

"He did?" She looked with surprised and questioning eyes at the puzzle. In the meantime, her grandfather laid a covert with money into her bag. _'He also told me of your problems. This should solve it all.'_

Suddenly she smiled, with determination in her eyes, "I'll thank him tomorrow!"

* * *

Crimson eyes opened themselves, as they looked around. It's been years since they felt the sensation of a body. But something felt different. Standing up and walking to the mirror on the closet, her realized what. Suddenly, he felt stupid. This was supposed to happen, after all his little vessel was female. And in the end, he was possessing her body, so it was only natural, that the body would remain female with some changes. Sighing, he walked to the desk and picked up her phone. He had a job to do.

* * *

"Calling me at midnight… Weird girl."

"Hello Ushio-san, nice to see that you came."

He turned around in shock, to see Yugi sitting on a bench. He couldn't help but notice the golden puzzle around her neck and the red eyes staring at him. The look in them made him shudder. But she also held the money in her hand and smirked at that, "I see, how wonderful of you to get my money. I don't like waiting."

"Of course, though I accidentally took too much, I fear."

A grin of greed made its way onto his face, "Really?"

She nodded, smirking a bit, "Though why won't we make this a bit more interesting? With a game."

"A… Game?"

"Yes," she started, her red eyes glowing brightly, "A Shadow Game."

Being as greedy as he was, he accepted, despite something telling him not to.

"In this case, I need the knife your hiding."

And he gave it to her, despite knowing she could harm him with it.

"The rules are simple," she said, laying the money on the surface of the bench, "We both will take turns placing the money on our hands. With the knife, we need to stab the money and as much we get, will be ours by the end of the game. Clearly, the goal is to refrain from stabbing our hand."

 _'This can't be Yugi… Or?'_

"You've got guts, girl. Let's start!"

"Ah, before I forget it," she started, taking the knife in her hand and place it above the money on her other hand, "If you try to cheat in any way, you'll be cursed with a punishment game."

"Yeah, whatever."

 _'Poor Ushio… Your greed will only end you.'_

* * *

The next morning, Yugi was walking with a smile on her face. She felt better and had the puzzle back. She also decided to wear it instead of leaving it uncontrolled in a bag.

"Yo, Yugi."

Looking to her right, she saw Jounouchi.

"Hello, Jounouchi-kun," she greeted him, with one of her usual smiles.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, and you?"

"I'm fine… Speaking of, I brought as well a treasure. Wanna see it?"

"Really? Of course!"

"Sorry," he laughed a bit, "It's in plain sight, but you can't see it."

"In plain sight… But invisible?"

"Yeah, it's friendship!"

Yugi blinked, a smile gracing her lips, "Jounouchi-kun!"

Then she looked at the puzzle and smiled.

 _You know, my second wish would have been…_

 ** _…Friends who would never betray me and friends whom I would never betray._**


End file.
